A Digital Evolution

Captain Clark Jones, Washington State Patrol

My interaction with e-citations started in 2010 when we transitioned from paper tickets and paper collision reports to the electronic format. Like anything new, I was resistant to the change. To be candid, the transition was forced on me, but once I got used to it, I realized it was a process improvement. It made me more efficient, and, honestly, I have terrible handwriting—so it was a welcome fix.

We currently use a statewide electronic platform that integrates citation issuance with police traffic collision reports, but we will be transitioning to a new platform that is expected to be fully deployed by 2027. The system allows officers to scan drivers’ licenses and vehicle registrations, reducing inefficiencies caused by manual entry. More importantly, e-citations don’t just stay within law enforcement. They are transmitted digitally to multiple agencies, including the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Department of Licensing and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Both roadside issuance and backend processing are covered in Washington.

“The future of e-citations will depend on technology, legal frameworks and connectivity.”

Clark Jones, Captain, Washington State Patrol

Beyond efficiency, e-citations play a vital role in data analysis. As we move into a new system, we’ll integrate GPS tracking, allowing us to see where tickets are issued and analyze traffic behavior. We can pinpoint problem areas, identify where dangerous driving behaviors are occurring and assess whether we are focusing enforcement efforts in the right places. The collected data helps answer critical questions: Where are crashes happening? Are we stopping and citing behaviors linked to high-risk incidents? Are our troopers working in the most effective locations? This information helps optimize resources in an era of constrained budgets and personnel.

While the benefits of e-citations are clear, barriers to adoption still exist. The biggest hurdle is cost—licensing fees, software development and ongoing support aren’t cheap. Additionally, collaboration is necessary. It’s not just a state patrol initiative; agencies like the Department of Transportation, the Department of Licensing and the courts must be on board.

The future of e-citations will depend on technology, legal frameworks and connectivity. Right now, our system requires officers to upload data when they have an internet connection, meaning some tickets are stored locally until connectivity is available. In the future, we may see cloud-based, real-time integration that allows for instant processing. While we are not entirely paperless yet, digital advancements continue to shape how we enforce traffic laws, analyze data and allocate resources.

E-citations are more than just a convenience. They enhance accuracy, reduce inefficiencies and contribute to a broader strategy of making roads safer. As law enforcement continues to evolve, leveraging technology like e-citations will be essential to maximizing our impact with the resources we have.

Game-changing Technology

Captain Shane Scovel, Colorado State Patrol, Technology Services Unit

The movement of information around our agency has, at least on the ticket side, been inefficient. We have a trooper writing a ticket in Durango, Colorado—eight hours from where I live—and that ticket has to be put into a manila envelope and mailed to our headquarters for processing. That’s not the most effective way to do things when technology offers better options today.

Two years ago, we enabled online ticket payments for citizens. Moving to an electronic system for issuing citations was the next logical step. My unit, the Technology Services Unit, has been developing and testing e-citations with our existing vendor for the past couple of years. We launched the pilot program at the Adams County troop office in August. The goal was to transition from a paper-based system to electronic movement of data, and our troopers have been instrumental in identifying areas for improvement.

We’ve spent months refining the system based on their feedback. For example, some fields didn’t populate correctly between our contact and citation forms, so we had to fix that. Another big issue was ensuring functionality in areas without internet access. Troopers need to be able to issue citations offline if they’re on a rural road, so we built an offline mode into the system. We also improved data transfer across various reporting forms, reducing the need for duplicate entries.

One of the biggest benefits of e-citations is data accuracy. Right now, troopers handwrite tickets, and then later, they have to enter that same information into our system. That introduces the risk of errors, whether it’s a misread vehicle identification number or transposing a six to a nine. With e-citations, troopers input the data once, and it automatically flows between crash reports, contact forms and citations. Plus, supervisors can review case files electronically without traveling to check physical paperwork. It’s a game-changer for efficiency and accuracy.

Reactions to the adoption of e-citations have been mixed. Troopers who are more tech-savvy see the benefits and are excited about the change. But those who have been doing the job for 20 years are a little less eager to adopt something new. That’s expected, but we’re working through it.

We are now focusing on ensuring seamless data transfer between the State Patrol and external agencies, like the courts and the Department of Revenue. That’s a challenge because they have their own systems to upgrade. Our goal is to go fully digital, but the timeline depends on those agencies’ development schedules. Right now, we’re looking at February 2026 for a statewide launch.

The technology provides quality data that allows us to take action faster while streamlining the citation process. This transition is long overdue. Ultimately, it will help our troopers be more efficient, provide accurate data and improve the overall workflow of law enforcement.